ton, till, on the 4th of September of the same year, he obtained his confirmation, and was, at the same time, appointed to command the Barrington, a little hired brig of 12 guns. Here his talent was put into immediate requisition; for the Admiral, Joshua Rowley, sent him, with the Racehorse schooner under his orders, to put a stop to the American salt trade with the Bahamas. He here acquitted himself so well, that, by keeping off Turk's Island, he effectually prevented all communication with the subjects of the United States, though the local authorities seemed by no means inclined to second his efforts. Want of supplies, however, compelled him to return to Jamaica; and, during his temporary absence, the French fitted an expedition from Cape François, effected a landing upon Turk's Island, and took possession of it. Their force consisted of two small frigates and two transports, under the command of the Marquis de Grasse, nephew to the Admiral who surrendered to Rodney; and he himself was captured in the Coquette, but not till he had fortified his conquest, and garrisoned it with 550 men. A couple of days after the capture of the Coquette, the circumstance of the fall of Turk's Island was made known to Captain Nelson, who then commanded the Albemarle frigate, and had arrived off there with the Tartar, Resistance, and Drake, on the very day that Lieutenant Cunningham had returned in the Barrington to resume his duties. It was now resolved that an attempt should be made to retake the island. To carry this object, a detachment of 250 seamen and marines were disembarked, under the command of Captain Dixon of the Drake, whilst that vessel and the Barrington were to cover the landing, and dislodge the enemy from the houses; but a battery, which the Marquis de Grasse had mounted with guns from the Coquette, being unexpectedly opened against them, they were compelled to retire, the Drake having seven men wounded, and the Barrington two. Captain Dixon, at the same time, finding that the enemy were strongly intrenched, and greatly superior to him in numbers, drew off his men, and re-embarked them without loss. Nelson, however, was resolved on

reducing the fort, and placed great reliance on the knowledge of the localities which had been acquired by Mr. Cunningham. But on the following night the Tartar was driven off the bank by a squall, and went to sea with the loss of an anchor. It was next determined upon to attack the battery with the large ships; but the wind coming about to the westward, and blowing so hard that it was difficult to clear the ships from the lee shore, the enterprise was abandoned.

The peace now followed: the Barrington was paid off at Jamaica in 1783; and we hear little of the professional pursuits of Mr. Cunningham till 1788, when he joined the Crown, 64, bearing the broad pendant of that worthy and veteran officer, the Honourable W. Cornwallis, with whom he had become acquainted while they were on the Jamaica station. Having served in the East Indies about a couple of years, he was made a commander into the Ariel, a sloop of war of 16 guns. On being confirmed in this rank, he returned to Europe by the opportunity offered on the Crown's being ordered home, Commodore Cornwallis having then shifted his broad pendant to the Minerva.

Captain Cunningham was not destined to experience much repose on his return; for the French revolution having taken place, he obtained command of the Speedy, a brig of 14 guns, and was despatched, at the commencement of the war, to join the fleet under Lord Hood, in the Mediterranean. On his arrival, in April, 1793, he was immediately and actively employed in keeping up the communication between the fleet and the diplomatic agents on the station; some of which enterprises required both address and ability, especially one wherein he had to convey the celebrated Monsieur Colonne on a political visit to Naples. The Genoese having allowed a French faction to preponderate in their councils, to the gross violation of several engagements, it was resolved by the English Admiral that the neutrality of their ports should be no longer respected. Accordingly, on the 5th of October in the same year, the Speedy accompanied the Bedford, 74, Captain R. Mann, and the Captain, 74, Captain S. Reeve,

into the harbour of Genoa, where the line-of-battle ships seized upon a French 36-gun frigate, called the Modesté, while the Speedy secured two armed tartans, of 4 guns and about 70 men each. Immediately after this, the Captain and Speedy proceeded to the Gulf of Spezia, where they had heard another French frigate, the Impérieuse, of 38 guns, was at anchor. This fine ship, on the approach of her enemies, was scuttled and abandoned by her crew; but being weighed again was purchased for the King, under the name of the Unité, there being an Impérieuse already in the service. For his alacrity on these occasions, Captain Cunningham was posted into the prize, and confirmed by a commission dated the 12th of October, 1793, the day on which she was captured.

Early in 1794 Captain Cunningham exchanged ships with Captain W. Wolseley, of the Lowestoffe, of 32 guns, in which he was employed in the reduction of Corsica. Here he again met his old friend Nelson, and acquitted himself so much to the satisfaction of Lord Hood, that he was charged with the public despatches announcing the conquest of that island, and in which he was thus handsomely mentioned:-" Captain Cunningham, who has cruised with infinite diligence, zeal, and perseverance, under many difficulties, for three months past, off Calvi, is charged with my despatches, and is competent to give any information their Lordships may wish to have. I beg to recommend him as an officer of great merit, and highly deserving any favour that can be shown him."

Captain Cunningham afterwards commanded the Clyde, a fine 38-gun frigate, for six years, and distinguished himself as a smart and active cruiser. During this time his ship's company acquired a degree of discipline and attachment to the service which reflected equal credit on the commander and on the commanded. Of this a memorable instance was shown during the alarming mutiny at the Nore, on which occasion Captains Cunningham and Neale were the only officers of their rank who remained on board their ships, or could exert any influence over their crews. The notorious Parker went on board the Clyde, and endeavoured to prevail on the men

to lay her against Tilbury Fort, but the Captain had the address to prevent it, and was the first who thought of getting clear of the mutinous fleet, which then consisted of thirteen sail of the line, besides frigates, sloops, and gun-boats. The disaffection had broken out on the 10th of May, 1797; but it was not till the 22d that, finding the Admiralty resolved to make no further concessions, the delegates became exasperated, and struck Vice-Admiral Buckner's flag, hoisting in its stead the red or bloody one. Excesses were now recklessly committed, and affairs assumed a desperate aspect. Captain Cunningham judiciously watched his opportunity; and, on the 29th, thinking he perceived symptoms of dissension among the mutineers, he adopted the decisive measure of ordering that Parker's signal for delegates to wait upon him on board the Sandwich should not be answered by the Clyde. Her foresail being unbent at the time, and it being known that she was unprovided with a pilot, the rest of the fleet did not suspect that this was a prelude to her secession from their cause. At nine P. M. the Captain addressed the ship's company, expatiating on the disgraceful situation of the men-of-war, and entreated them to second his intention of working the ship into Sheerness harbour before daybreak, to effect which the hands were not to be turned up, but merely called by each other he also intimated that Sir Harry Neale, in the St. Fiorenzo, would follow their example. This announcement was received with such satisfaction, that only one dissentient voice was heard, and that one was instantly suppressed. Soon after midnight the cables were silently slipped, and at sunrise, on the 30th, to the great joy of the Committee of the Admiralty, and the garrison of Sheerness, the loyal Clyde was safely anchored before the Dock-yard. This decisive act threw a damp over the spirits of the ringleaders of the mutiny, spread distrust among the ships, and was the first effectual blow to the conspiracy,—a service which was thankfully acknowledged both by the Admiralty and by the merchants of London.

On the return of the ships to their duty, the Clyde took charge of a convoy for the Baltic. Returning from this

duty, she captured the Success, a French brig privateer; and, nine days afterwards, took La Dorade, a fine privateer, pierced for 18 guns, but mounting only 12, and manned with

93 men.

The prisoners were removed; and the master of the Clyde, with 27 men, were put on board to keep possession. But a heavy gale arose, and at about half-past four in the afternoon the prize, which had been endeavouring to out-sail the Clyde, unfortunately capsized. This was instantly observed from the frigate, which bore up to render aid; but no boat was found capable of swimming, except the jolly-boat: in this an officer with four men boldly approached the floating wreck, with some light lines to throw to those who had scrambled upon the bottom. Captain Cunningham, finding that his frigate drifted faster than the wreck, dropped his courses, and fetched way for a quarter of an hour, then wore and stood back for the same space of time; by which seaman-like judgment he exactly met his boat when it had become dark, and found that she had been able to save only four men out of twenty-eight.

In 1798 the Clyde had the honour of being placed in attendance upon George III. at Weymouth; after which she resumed her duties on the Channel station, where, on the 10th of January, 1799, she captured L'Air, a schooner letter-of-marque; and on the 13th of the same month a fine French privateer, of 16 guns and 65 men, called Le Bon Ordre.

On the morning of the 20th of August, 1799, the Clyde was cruising off the Cordovan lighthouse, when two sail were discovered in the S. W. standing towards her. The wind was fresh, and the weather hazy, so that the strangers were indistinctly seen. "What are they like?" said Captain Cunningham to Mr. Reeve, the master.“ Oh, sir, he replied, "they are certainly a line-of-battle ship and a frigate." "Well," exclaimed the Captain, "we'll have a look

at them, and trust to our heels for the rest, – so, hands, about ship." The Clyde immediately tacked, and made sail towards her pursuers, who, at about eleven a. M., were made